UN Meet on HIV AIDS

“For every 2 persons put on Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART) there are 5 new HIV infections”


It was really one of the most thrilling moments of my life when I got the invitation to participate in the United Nation’s General Assembly, Special Session on HIV AIDS deliberations scheduled on 10th and 11th of June 2008 and Global TB Leaders meet scheduled on 9th of June 2008 at UN headquarter, New York. Attending UN session was my long cherished dream since my childhood when in class 5 I read the chapter on League of Nations and United Nations in my Civil Science book.
During the last 15 Years I have been involved with control of TB , HIV AIDS and other communicable diseases in developing world but I was really moved when I had my tenure as Head and Acting Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences, Alemaya University, Ethiopia (1998-2002). I closely saw the encounters with HIV- many of my colleagues were losing their near and dear ones due to AIDS. It will be surprising to most of you to learn that in many African Countries the prevalence of HIV infection has reached up to 30-35% of adult population. One of the inherent social problems of this medical disease was and is noted to be stigma and discrimination.
After my return from Ethiopia to Patna, India, I started my medical practice and started treating lots of AIDS cases. During the interaction with patients, I found many types of discrimination against AIDS patients. One poor lady who lost her husband was thrown out of her house on the pretext that even her breath can spread the disease in whole village. She lost all her hope and decided to commit suicide. I can’t stop my role to be only treating physician. I stepped further and after taking her consent, shared the same biscuit eaten by her in front of all electronic and print media, just to prove that the disease can’t spread even by sharing food items. It was flashed on the cover page of all the leading media and web and I even got appreciation letter from Ex US president Bill Clinton whose foundation is also working against AIDS.
Another thrilling moment of my life came when I got an opportunity to meet Mr. Bill Clinton at UN General Assembly hall during Global TB leaders meet. God had given me the opportunity to meet my source of inspiration.

At 2008 High Level meeting on AIDS, General Assembly, United Nations, New York, various speakers at Plenary highlighted the challenging task of achieving Universal Access target for care, support and treatment by 2010. The fact that for every 2 persons put on ART there are 5 new HIV infections was regarded as a major challenge. More so universal access can't be seen in isolation. It requires well strengthen health care delivery system which is presently at skeleton level in most of the developing countries having the most of the case burden. Trained healthcare manpower must fit in the existing huge gap to play their effective role for the Universal Access target by 2010. At present 3 million people are put on ART worldwide and by 2010, it is expected that 13 million people will need it. This is very big task to be achieved within 2 years, i.e. by 2010.
More resource allocation for strengthening of health care delivery system by national government is immediately needed to fit into the Universal target achievement goal.
At TB HIV Global Leaders Forum, present emerging trend of Multidrug Resistant TB (MDR) and Extensively Drug Resistant TB ( XDR TB ) in Post HIV era was shared by all the panelist including President Bill Clinton and it was stressed that both treatment programme needs integrated approach. But where TB diagnosis and treatment is highly decentralized, even at Microscopy Centers at 1 lakh population and DOTS Centers at extreme peripheries and ART availability at Few Medical Colleges and Hospitals remains an additional challenge.
Apart from these concerns, most important highlight of the event was the echoing of voice at UN corridors, probably for the first time with such intensity. Voices of marginalized sections like Transgender, Men having sex with men (MSM), Injective Drug Users (IDU’s), Refugees, Commercial Sex Workers etc who are having high frequency of infection were heard with respect and concern and removal of travel restrictions of PLHIVs by some countries were strongly decried by the participants.
At the end I am proposing- Let us lit the candle rather than curse the darkness. We will eventually win the fight against AIDS.


Pic1: Dr Diwakar Tejaswi with representative of Transgender Community at UN Meet
Pic 2: Dr Diwakar Tejaswi at UN General Assemble, Special Session on HIV AIDS
Pic 3: Dr Diwakar Tejaswi with Ex US President, Mr. Bill Clinton at UN Meet
Pic 4: Dr Diwakar Tejaswi with other distinguished Indian delegates at UN Meet